(ANSA) – ROME, AUGUST 14 – Aging does not proceed slowly and steadily, but its path encounters two key steps: the first at around 44 years of age, the second around 60 years of age. This was discovered by a study by the School of Medicine at the American University of Stanford published in the journal Nature Ageing: in correspondence with these two moments, in fact, drastic changes occur at a biomolecular level, which see a sudden increase or decrease in thousands of molecules and microorganisms present in the body. The existence of this phenomenon should push, according to researchers, to pay attention to one’s health and adapt one’s lifestyle especially in these key moments of life.
The authors of the study led by Xiaotao Shen examined the data provided by 108 volunteers between the ages of 25 and 75, followed for several years with the specific aim of better understanding the biology of aging. This allowed them to monitor age-related changes in more than 135,000 different molecules and microbes: thousands of these undergo significant changes over the course of life, concentrated especially at certain times. Around the age of 44, the most involved molecules are those linked to the metabolism of alcohol, caffeine and fats and those associated with cardiovascular disorders. About 15 years later, however, attention shifts to molecules linked to the metabolism of carbohydrates and caffeine, immune regulation, kidney function and cardiovascular diseases.
The researchers were not very surprised by the 60-year step, since it is known that the risks of many age-related diseases increase precisely in that period, while the presence of the step at 44 was more unexpected, since it affects men and women equally, and is therefore not due to menopause. According to the authors of the article, it is possible that some of these changes are linked to lifestyle or typical behaviors of these age groups, rather than biological factors. (ANSA).
2024-08-14 23:24:09